David Gest, the music producer and television personality, died at age 62 in a London hotel room in 2016. His body was discovered after he had spent 48 hours in isolation, with no contact to the outside world. He had been living at the Four Seasons Hotel in Canary Wharf and had recently pulled out of Celebrity Big Brother due to an infection.
After his death, his best friend Imad Handi revealed that Gest had hired a hitman to kill Sir Elton John in 2003. The plot was allegedly sparked by a joke Elton made about Gest's marriage to Liza Minnelli, saying he would like to buy her a heterosexual husband. Gest reportedly paid £20,000 for the hit, but his bodyguard talked him out of it. The hitman refused to return the full amount, costing Gest £12,000.
Gest's health had been declining for years. He suffered from high blood pressure, insomnia, and chest problems, and was taking strong medication. In the days before his death, he consulted a GP for chest symptoms. His death was ruled as natural causes, likely a stroke, with no suspicious circumstances.
Gest had also accumulated gambling debts of £500,000. His marriage to Liza Minnelli lasted 16 months, and she later described it as traumatic, calling him a 'conman clown'. Gest always denied being gay, stating at the time of his wedding, 'I know who I am.'
